What is our ecological footprint?

Collage: What is our ecological footprint?
Credit: MS Office ClipArt - keyword: footprints

We all talk about our ecological footprint and how much our lifestyles impact on the environment. But what does it all mean? Well, this website calculator: Zerofootprint: Footprint Calculator which is designed for kids shows our impact really nicely. And it is great for adults too (just pretend you are the parent).

Taking the test was quite an eye opener. In my household, even though we recycle, switch off lights and computers, limit our garbage, don't own a swimming pool etc we still are using way too much carbon, water and land to sustain our lifestyle.

Everyone in the Wo-Built office had to take the test as well. Needless to say we all swore to use fewer resources. Try it out for yourselves.

The link was provided by Styrohome who I am following on Twitter.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc.

links:
wikipedia.org: Green building is an outcome of a design which focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building's lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal.
Canada has implemented the "R-2000" in 1982 to promote better than building code construction to increase energy efficiency and promote sustainability. An optional feature of the R-2000 home program is the EnerGuide rating service. This service is available across Canada, allows home builders and home buyers to measure and rate the performance of their homes, and confirm that those specifications have been met.

rprogress.org: Redefining Progress: Shifting public policy to achieve a sustainable economy, a healthy environment and a just society.

wobuilt.com: Celebrating Earth Day - Striving to Be Green All Year Round!

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152 posts tagged ecological footprint
35 posts tagged eco footprint
ecological footprint quiz
1 post tagged ecological footprint calculator

Tales from the Renovation Track: One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator: Part 5

Collage: construction, farms, buildings

Credits: MS Office ClipArt - j0434591.wmf + j0338018.wmf

Part 5 - Rural Renos

There are beautiful green rolling hills here, dotted with farms, cows and shredded-wheat hay rolls. And as sure as the sale barn is on Tuesday afternoons, farms out here need renos just like everyplace else. Especially old farm houses, where the electric plugs cough out cold air from the outside and are sometimes strong enough to extinguish matches.

Now renovating on a farm has its advantages and its disadvantages. I love to be invited in for dinner, or catch up on the local gossip, or go home with an arm full of fresh produce. But some things taint the experience too, in ways one would not normally have to put up with.

Ring ring! The phone called me and a familiar voice from an old friend asked me out to install a new screen door on her farm house.

My van lumbered up her bumpy driveway, avoiding the usual crowd of assorted creatures, some free range, some just AWOL. There was a playful crowd of barn cats, a handful of dogs playing tag, some chickens, geese and oh my god, what is THAT?

"IT" was a rather huge pig! That's right, I said pig. It was big, blackish hairy, coming up to my hips in height, but it seemed calm enough, so after a quick consult with my friend, I unpacked my tools and got to work. And of course, this was not going to be the quick job I had anticipated. The jamb was out of square, and the old concrete composing the threshold was not long for this earth.

I removed the old concrete and set about realigning the door jamb. I needed to cut some 2x4 stock as a king stud to beef up the jamb. I set up my 12 inch sliding compound miter saw and stand and reached out to grab my tape measure which I had put down on an outside metal patio chair.

Ewwww! There was something greasy and slimy on it, and the smell indicated the unmistakable calling card of goose poo. Yuck! I went into the house to the sink in a rather hurried fashion and ran water until the poo was erased from everything but memory. The bloody stuff stained my hand too! No kidding! I went back outside where the pig had grabbed one of my tools and tried to make off with it, but I was in better shape and snatched it back before it was out of sight. Then an old dog wouldn't move out of the way, like a stone donkey he sat there, right in the way. After grunting and pushing I finally coaxed him out of the way before almost being run over by another dog being chased by the pig. Thank god that job is over!

These past few weeks, I have been working on renovating parts of an old cottage for someone, where Rufus the cat also lives. Now Rufus is a tom, with a rather large head and small feet. I guess nothing grows well in the shade. Anyways, Rufus announced his apparent displeasure with my work, when I discovered he had peed in the plastic tool box that housed my drill. Then he took off for 9 days, and I profusely apologized to the owners, who, although worried, did not blame me. Rufus came back 9 days later, thinner and with numerous scratches but alive just the same.

Another fine afternoon found me grouting a ceramic tile floor in a bathroom. I heard a strange sound coming from my right and I looked up in time to see that the owner's pet parrot had walked into the bathroom, and amused himself by biting chunks out of my defenseless grout sponge.

I love all the little creatures of the world, especially cats, but a renovation site is no place for them to be. A plumber I know agreed to work on a house. The owner called and told him not to let the cat out. He walked up to the front door, opened it and just about got hit by the blur of an opportunistic cat exploding out of the house to freedom. And you know what? He didn't get paid for the job to this day because of that. Don't ask me what happened to the cat, it's a sore point with the plumber.

I love all the little creatures of the world especially cats, but a renovation site is no place for them to be. Don't make it the renovator's job to put up with their presence. Lock them up somewhere for the day with the necessities. I can't count the number of times a pet dish with water or kibble and bits has tripped me with my hands fully laden with god knows what kind of construction paraphernalia. And reimburse the renovator for tools your pets have destroyed. It is not our fault they fancy nice rubber handles.

By the way, Rufus and I have come to a stalemate about my presence. He hasn't peed anymore so I still pet him, but he is off the pieces of food donation list for now as a protest. I am still there ... his owners being pleased enough to extend my services to other parts of the cottage.

Happy Renovating!

Janice Bell
Bell Renovating

2009 © Janice Bell

Tales from the Renovation Track: One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator
Part 1: All in All
Part 2: Weld on Fire
Part 3: They Were Nailed
Part 4: It Pays to Be Honest
Part 5: Rural Renos
Part 6: Messy Is Costly
Part 7: Door Hell
Part 8: Just Where Do I Stop?
Part 9: Dressing for the Trades

Wo-Built Mentors George Brown Students

Screenshot: The Student Bid Competition's Website
Credit: tcicbidcomp.com

Wo-Built was ecstatic when we were asked to mentor students for a construction bid competition!

We were approached by a student from George Brown College’s Construction Management Program to mentor his group in a construction bid competition. Of course, we jumped at the chance to work with students and guide them through the construction and estimating bid process.

This event is held every year at Ryerson University. Students from across Canada are invited to complete bids based on a set of contract documents. It was started in order to help students understand the challenges that occur in the bidding process for construction projects. These bids must contain quality takeoffs for own forces work, a sub-trade analysis and selection, as well as the overhead and pricing summary.

The bids are judged based on the following three criteria:

• Most Outstanding Professional Conduct;
• Most Accurate and Complete Bid Package;
• Nearest Bid to the Budget Price.

Screenshot: The Winners of the Student Bid Competition
Credit: tcicbidcomp.com

Our group was in the top 50! Great job and we are very proud of you!

It was interesting to note that the winner of Most Accurate and Complete Bid Package and Most Outstanding Professional Conduct was an all female team. This is also a great sign for our industry.

Wo-Built Inc. is grateful for this opportunity to be involved in this mentorship, and would like to thank the students at George Brown College for the chance to give back to our community and participate in this amazing educational event.

Deborah McKenna
Senior Construction Project Management / Interior Designer
Wo-Built Inc.

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389 posts tagged mentorship
13 posts tagged george brown college
bid competition
9 posts tagged construction bid
61 posts tagged ryerson university
3 posts tagged deborah mckenna

Reminder: Wo-Built's Home Design Workshop Tonight!

Screenshot: Twitter Reminder: Wo-Built's Home Design Workshop Tonight

As a reminder, Wo-Built's workshop on colours, materials & textures applying our design philosophy tonight @ 7pm @ Wise Daughters http://tinyurl.com/cjntmq

See you there!

we tweet @ twitter

Celebrating Earth Day - Striving to Be Green All Year Round!

Collage: Celebrating Earth Day - Striving to Be Green All Year Round!
Credit: MS Office: keywords: caring, Earth Day, environmental conservation

Programs to help you be green not just for Earth Day but all year round

Toronto Hydro-Electric System offers residential customers a variety of electricity conservation programs designed to help you reduce the amount of electricity you use, and control your costs. When you use less electricity, you also help the environment by reducing the electricity that needs to be generated.

http://www.torontohydro.com/sites/electricsystem/residential/Pages/default.aspx

Toronto Hydro has an incentive program called: Business Incentive Program (BIP)

http://www.torontohydro.com/sites/electricsystem/business/Pages/default.aspx

Get an Energy Audit for Your House Today







Green$aver provides top-to-bottom energy audits that help you lower your electrical use.
http://www.greensaver.org/


Keep Cool - Plant a Tree. LEAF can Help







LEAF is a not-for-profit that will plant native trees and shrubs in your back yard.
http://www.leaftoronto.org/


RefrigeratorRoundup







Get rid of that old fridge in the basement and it could save you up to $150 a year on your bill.
torontohydro.com: Fridge and Freezer Pick up: Book an appointment today.

Residential peaksaver







If you're a peaksaver customer, sign up for PowerShift. It's an easy way to reduce your electricity use.
torontopowershift.com: Toronto Hydro-Electric System | PowerShift


Check "saveONenergy programs and incentives for home" to maximize your energy-efficiency savings and help save the environment!

Lonya is the staff writer for Wo-Built Inc.

links:
Home Renovation Tip: Donate Reusable Items to Non-For-Profit Organizations
Wo-Built: Helping to Green our Province 
Interesting Reading: Government Help for Going Green in Homes 
Wo-Built: Help for Going Green at Work 
Wo-Built Goes Greener by Planting Trees!!!

technorati tags:
4,662 posts tagged earth day
14 posts tagged electricity conservation
4,374 posts tagged energy efficiency
154 posts tagged environmental conservation
2,857 posts tagged go green

Lighting with LEDs – The Benefits

Collage: Lighting with LEDs – The Benefits
Credit: MS Office: keywords: electronics, LEDs, light-emitting diodes, technology

Light emitting diodes (LED) seem to be the way of the future and the benefits are endless!

Unlike incandescent bulbs which produce heat driven light emissions by way of a filament, LEDs are light emitting diodes made of semiconductor materials. Their unique construction means an LED system can provide 50,000 to 100,000 hours of light compared to the 1,000 hours offered by ordinary incandescent bulbs. One compact fluorescent bulb has only 8,000 hours of light. They also run cooler so they are much safer to use.

LED light bulbs are so energy efficient that, depending on how often you have them turned on, they can actually pay for themselves in just one year’s time.

LED Benefits:

• LED fixtures will last 30 years or even longer so the need to replace them is minimal.
• Low voltage wiring – regular conventional halogen bulbs require 10 volts of household power. LEDs operate on 12 volts.
• LED bulbs do not need to be replaced, so that means waste reduction. They are environmentally friendly, and therefore don’t have harmful materials. They can be disposed of in a normal manner. Incandescent light bulbs put carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide and nuclear waste into landfills.
• LEDs do not have a filament. They are 100% solid state material encapsulated in epoxy resin. LEDs are resistant to shock vibration, and extreme temperature.
• No UVs – LEDs do not radiate UVs, therefore this makes them very safe for museums and galleries.
• LEDs have a pure white color. Traditional halogen bulbs are yellow with typical colour temperatures around 3200 Kelvin. Manufacturers have attempted to correct this yellowness by using expensive coatings and filters to remove some of the yellow light. LEDs can be engineered to produce white light at the preferred colour temperature of 4400K so no filters are needed. Basically, the quality of light is much better with LEDs.
• LEDs have yet another environmental benefit. It is the directionality of the light combating light pollution that has become a mission for organizations. LEDs emit patterns directly toward the illuminator target & not in the sky.

All in all LEDs are economical and environmentally friendly. More and more people are embracing LEDs in an effort to be green all year round.

Deborah McKenna
Senior Construction Project Management / Interior Designer
Wo-Built Inc.

links:
Natural Resources Canada: Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE)
Interesting Reading: Government Help for Going Green in Homes

technorati tags:
32 posts tagged light emitting diodes
2,617 posts tagged energy efficient
6 posts tagged environmental benefit
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Tales from the Renovation Track: One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator: Part 4

Collage: construction, blueprints, women

Credits: MS Office ClipArt - j0291984.wmf

Part 4 - It Pays to Be Honest

Vrrrr ... vrrrr ... vrrrr ... went the drywall screw gun and another screw went in and another one and wait ... What was that? The last screw felt funny or different when it went in.

Then it dawned on me and a very sick feeling washed over me. I raced around to the other side of the wall of the bathroom which hadn't been boarded yet and sure enough, after I removed the insulation, I realized that I had indeed driven a screw right into the black ABS drain pipe of the sink. I decided I had better call my customer and fess up.

Very sheepishly, I dialed my customer’s phone who had gone out of town for a couple of days.

"Hello", said I, "its Janice".

"Yes Janice, what can I do for you?"

I explained the mistake I had just made, and offered to pay the plumbers out of my own pocket to correct it. My customer was okay with that arrangement and thanked me for being so honest. Then I decided to call the plumber and get him to do the repair as his company was ultimately responsible for the whole system. If they repaired it, their insurance would cover it should anything happen down the road.

After the repair was complete, the plumber came up to me and thanked me profusely for admitting my mistake. He then informed me that almost all drywallers at some point make the same mistake. The only problem is that they almost never tell anyone what they did and keep on going. Or they don't even realize that it even occurred in the first place. The last time this happened to the plumber, his company had to make good for the damage caused by the drywaller’s error. This included replacing the flooring, baseboard, drywalling, repainting etc…

He then thanked me again to the point I was beginning to think it was overkill until he mentioned that driving a screw into a drain pipe was the worst type of leak to figure out, because it would leak on an intermittent basis only, when water went down the drain.

If you drive a screw into a supply line, it leaks continuously, so it will eventually give away its location.
He was so grateful after the sting of the last unfortunate incident of errant screw placement that he offered the repair for free. Now how often does someone do that?

Meanwhile, my customer's business lunch had been interrupted by my phone call, and her dinner companions were curious as to what was so urgent that her renovator had to call her in the middle of it. She relayed the story to them and they agreed that she was one lucky person to have so honest a person working at her house. The reason they had so high of an opinion of me was because, coincidently, they had had a drywaller work at their home who put 5, count them, 5 screws into one of their copper pipes which of course created all kinds of expensive damage.

The incredible part of this whole story is that, even when you make a mistake, if you admit it right then and there, and get it fixed, not only does your integrity remain intact, the accolades you receive for doing the right thing goes a very long way indeed towards business longevity. The plumber extended exceptional courtesy to me as well and as a result I have fostered a very good working relationship with him.

Everyone makes mistakes. It's what you do about them that makes the whole difference.

Happy renovating!

Janice Bell
Bell Renovating

2009 © Janice Bell

Tales from the Renovation Track: One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator
Part 1: All in All
Part 2: Weld on Fire
Part 3: They Were Nailed
Part 4: It Pays to Be Honest
Part 5: Rural Renos
Part 6: Messy Is Costly
Part 7: Door Hell
Part 8: Just Where Do I Stop?
Part 9: Dressing for the Trades

Tales from the Renovation Track: One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator: Part 3

Collage: construction, carpenters, hammers, nails, women

Credit: MS Office ClipArt - j0338018.wmf

Part 3 - They Were Nailed

I gleefully boarded the bus and bounded to my seat. This was not just any bus, but a bus chock full of male contractors and me, the lone female contractor.

We were heading out to a "contractor only" trade show hosted by a local lumberyard.

Once we arrived, I strolled into the show and looked around. There were many display booths of all shapes and sizes, presenting different construction products with their sales staff pitching their wares.

Wait. What is that in the corner over there? It's a contest! I love contests, so I hurried over and low and behold, it was a nailing contest. The hosts had put a 6 by 6 inch pressure treated post horizontally on 2 saw horses and the contestants were timed as to how long it took to hammer in 3 - 31/2 inch galvanized ardox nails.

There were separate categories for male and female entrants, so I took up the challenge and hoisted the hammer up. "GO!" said the fellow timing, and I took the first nail and smacked it hard! For those of you who don't know, ardox nails are the ones that have a spiral down the length of their shaft, which makes them rotate as they go into the wood. Since the hammer being used was not a framing hammer, it did not have the engraved criss cross on the face of it. As a consequence, if you don't hit the that type of nail right square on with that type of hammer, the hammer face slides a bit on contact as the nail turns and the nail flies off into space. It flew all right and careened wildly through the air as the male spectators watched in horror and ducked with all their might.

The organizers told me to try again, so I took the next nail and waited for the signal. "GO" the fellow shouted, the spectators ducked in readiness and I drove that first nail into the wood with all my fury, all the way to China. I hurriedly grabbed the next nail, smacked it hard home and then the final one which pounded into the wood almost too easily, now that I had warmed up.

The amazed look of the fellow on the timer is forever etched in my mind. Once all the guys had come up from their respective hiding places they too stood there, dazed at my performance, like deer caught in the headlights.

By the end of the day, I had come in first in the women's category and third in the men's, although I was ineligible to collect the prize in the men's category.

When the winners were announced, the male first place winner arrived at the front and collected his prize, a battery operated hammer drill. Not a bad prize at all thought I, as I walked up to collect mine.

To my surprise, I was not awarded a drill, but instead was handed a tiny tool pouch. Some of the fellows on my bus had won them as door prizes, and they were laughingly referring to them as "purses".

The very next day, I was at the local lumberyard and ran into some of the contractors, all of whom were trading their "purses" in for more useful items.

A woman who I did not know came up to me and congratulated me on my nailing acumen, and then introduced herself as the new assistant manager. She asked me how I liked the show and I told her it was lovely, but then laughed and explained how I had received a "purse" instead of a drill as a prize.

By jeepers, she had a new drill waiting for me that afternoon. It turns out that the male organizers assumed that the female participants of the nailing contest would only have been secretaries or wives or girlfriends, and did not think that there would actually be a female contractor around.

I look forward to this year's show, knowing that whichever gal wins the contest, she won't be going home with a purse.

Janice Bell
Bell Renovating

2009 © Janice Bell

Tales from the Renovation Track: One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator
Part 1: All in All
Part 2: Weld on Fire
Part 3: They Were Nailed
Part 4: It Pays to Be Honest
Part 5: Rural Renos
Part 6: Messy Is Costly
Part 7: Door Hell
Part 8: Just Where Do I Stop?
Part 9: Dressing for the Trades

Our First Session of the Home Design Workshop Series

Photo: Wo-Built's Home Design Workshop at the Wise Daughters Crafts Market
First Session: Solving problem spaces:: April 1, 2009
2009 © Wo-Built Inc.

Our first session in the series of our Home Design Series, which was held on April 1st at the Wise Daughters Boutique was a grand success! The turnout was good – a small intimate group that made it easy for informal yet lively chat. Even the neighbourhood paper SNAP made an appearance for a photo op and stayed to listen to the discussions!

Discussions revolved around participants’ unique design dilemmas with solutions and suggestions given by our dynamic duo, design expert, Deborah McKenna and renovation expert and CEO of Wo-Built, Martina Ernst. Each problem and each question was given the attention it deserved in a thoroughly enjoyable and understandable manner.

If you would like to participate, our next session is "Designing with Colors, Materials and Fabrics" and will be held on Wednesday April 22nd, at 7 p.m.

Come and join the fun!

You’re bound to get some good ideas in the process for perking up your spaces. Look for our presentation in the Junction SNAP.

Lonya is the staff writer for Wo-Built Inc.

Photo: Wo-Built's Home Design Workshop at the Wise Daughters Crafts Market
First Session: Solving problem spaces:: April 1, 2009
2009 © Wo-Built Inc.

Tales from the Renovation Track: One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator: Part 2

Collage: construction, occupations, people at work, welders, welding

Credits: MS Office ClipArt - j0301248.wmf

Part 2 - Weld on Fire

A cold, wintry blast made me huddle further into my jacket as I climbed into my truck, but there was no chance of cooling the joy I felt just having completed my night school course in Welding.

Because of the season I was in-between jobs in unionized construction but still eager to try out my new welding skills. I landed a position with a self employed millwright as an assistant metal smith.

In addition to welding, I was able to hone additional metalworking skills using a plasma cutter. The plasma cutter is similar to a welder in that it employs an arc of electric current to the metal surface thereby melting it, but in addition, it has a compressed air line incorporated into it to blow the molten metal out of the way and hence makes a "cut" into the metal. And like welding, one has to wear a welder's helmet to protect the eyes.

One beautiful but cold sunny afternoon, I was working outside the shop on a large table maneuvering the plasma cutter tip around an image drawn onto a 1/8th inch thick piece of sheet metal.

As usual, this procedure creates certain odors during the process, some of which are not shall we say inviting by nature. This particular plasma cutter had a 40% duty rating which means one can only use it for 4 out of every 10 minutes. The reason this is so, is that as the plasma cutter heats up, and if used for longer periods than its rating, the tip of the plasma cutter overheats and melts. These types of consumable parts are expensive if replaced too often, so one bears frugality in mind.

Because of the duty rating, I had to go quickly and cut whatever I could in a 4-minute span, then go do something else for 6 minutes. During the second 4-minute span, I could smell something really bad, but didn't worry as that is what usually occurred.

As the egg timer signaled me to quit cutting, I flipped up my helmet with a quick jerk of my head to finally discover what stunk so bad.

Holy cow ... as looked down at my chest, I discovered my "girls" were on fire. I didn't feel the heat because I had been laden down with 4 layers of clothing to keep warm, and the plasma cutter had only burnt through the first two, but I hopped around like a Mexican jumping bean, flailing at my chest and trying to put out the smouldering material.

Now I know why welders wear leather jackets and aprons.

Sometimes people ask me if I have seen the movie Mrs. Doubtfire and I answer with a resounding YES! Been there, done that, burnt the T shirt!

Janice Bell
Bell Renovating

2009 © Janice Bell

Tales from the Renovation Track: One Woman’s Experiences of Being a Renovator
Part 1: All in All
Part 2: Weld on Fire
Part 3: They Were Nailed
Part 4: It Pays to Be Honest
Part 5: Rural Renos
Part 6: Messy Is Costly
Part 7: Door Hell
Part 8: Just Where Do I Stop?
Part 9: Dressing for the Trades

How to Improve Your Home Spaces: Wo-Built Design Workshop Tonight

Flyer: Wo-Built Home Design Workshop Series

Wo-Built is introducing a series of Home Design Workshops for those of you who are interested in learning more about design and home renovations. There will be a variety of topics of interest to those of you who want to know how to improve your home spaces.

Tonight, come and join us for an evening of lively discussion, refreshments and problem-solving for those home dilemmas that you’ve been wondering about. Bring your pictures and images of your problem areas at home or just share with us your likes and dislikes in home design.

Hopefully, you’ll be inspired to return home and start your pet home renovation projects and of course if you still need help and design advice we‘ll be happy to talk to you further.

Deborah (Senior Designer for Wo-Built) and I are looking forward to meeting you.

Martina Ernst
CEO
Wo-Built Inc.

Details:
Wo-Built Home Design Series of 6 interactive talks at Wise Daughters Craft Market
First Topic: Solving problem spaces – bring photos of your home and get great design ideas

Wednesday, April 1, 7 – 9 pm

Wise Daughters Craft Market
Local handicrafts and do-it-yourself workshops
3079B Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5P 1Z9
(facing Quebec Avenue, just south Dundas, behind Crema Coffee)
There is ample street parking on Dundas and Quebec.
Via TTC: Junction bus # 40 from Dundas West Station,
Lambton bus # 30 (or 15 min. walk) from High Park Station.
tel: 416-761-1555
e-mail: wisedaughters@sympatico.ca
web: www.wisedaughters.com

For future workshops, see www.wisedaughters.com